The Little Boy that Santa Claus Forgot
by SivanShemesh2
Summary: 7B, Family Series. Ezra is the only one in the family who is not feeling surprise or excitement about the upcoming holiday. WIP
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Little Boy that Santa Claus Forgot

Author: Sivan Shemesh

Beta: tpena19

Disclaimer: Neither the song "_The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot_" nor Mag7 are mine…

Warning: Angst, family.

AU: 7B

A/N: Josiah is 21, Chris and Buck are 19, Nathan is 18, Vin is 10, JD is 8, Ezra is 6. Vin & JD attend one school, Ezra another.

Summary: Ezra is the only one in the family who is not feeling surprise or excitement about the upcoming holiday.

_The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot  
_(Connor/Carr/Leach)

_He's the little boy that Santa Claus forgot,  
And goodness knows, he didn't want a lot._

_He sent a note to Santa  
For some soldiers and a drum,  
It broke his little heart  
When he found Santa hadn't come._

_In the street he envies all those lucky boys,  
Then wanders home to last year's broken toys.  
I'm so sorry for that laddie,  
He hasn't got a daddy,  
The little boy that Santa Claus forgot._

_Spoken:  
(You know, Christmas comes but once a year for every girl and boy,  
The laughter and the joy they find in each brand new toy.  
I'll tell you of a little boy that lives across the way...  
This little fella's Christmas is just another day.  
He's the little boy that Santa Claus forgot,  
And goodness knows, he didn't want a lot.)_

_In the street he envies all those lucky boys,  
Then wanders home to last year's broken toys.  
I'm so sorry for that laddie,  
He hasn't got a daddy,  
The little boy that Santa Claus forgot._

_(sung by Nat King Cole)_

1.

Josiah carried papers and pens, for his younger brothers to write letters to Santa, over to the table.

He watched Vin and JD as they excitedly wrote down their wishes, and yet he could see the sadness in his littlest brother, staring down at the blank paper not knowing what he should do with it.

Josiah moved behind the little one and reached out, Ezra jumped as a hand squeezed his shoulder, and Josiah could see, even if only for a blink of the eye, the fear that lit the green eyes of his youngest brother.

"It's ok, Ezra, it's just me," Josiah told him gently and then added softly, "I shouldn't startle you and for that I'm sorry."

Ezra sighed in relief and then set his eyes back on the blank paper before him.

"I noticed that you aren't writing anything," Josiah pointed at the blank letter and asked, "Don't you want Santa to bring you any presents?"

Hearing the conversation, the other youngsters stared over at their brothers but kept their mouths shut not wanting to interrupt.

"Santa won't come." Ezra told him simply, but kept his eyes on the white paper.

Josiah took a chair and sat beside his brother, then he used one of his hands to raise Ezra's chin to look at his face before he asked softly, "Why won't Santa come?"

"Because… because…" Ezra started to say, but no words seemed to come after his first.

Josiah scanned his little brother, noticing the glint of fear in those green eyes, and how Ezra's shoulders were starting to shake.

"Because why, little brother?"

"I'm a bad boy." Ezra's sad voice replies, as his chin drops and tears, being slowly released from his watery eyes, fall down onto the paper.

"You are not a bad boy, little one." Josiah told him, and wished he could visit the wrath of God on whoever told his brother such hurtful words.

Ezra didn't respond but continued staring at the blank paper instead, as the past started to replay in his mind.

But he was a bad boy, his relatives had all told him that again and again…

_He was clumsy, again, and had let the bowl of water fall from his hands._

_His uncle James was glad that the boy had not held any important drinks that were supposed to be for the guests._

_"You are clumsy, and a bad boy, Ezra, and I am not surprised to see that no one wants you as a son or brother." Uncle James told him, and then slapped him in the face._

_Ezra tried not to cry as he felt the pain from the hit, or from the pain of the hurtful words._

_"Stay in the attic and don't come down until I or your aunt tell you otherwise," James ordered him, "Do you understand?"_

_Ezra nodded, knowing that he had failed to show how good a boy he was._

_He stayed in the attic for more than a day. His belly growled as he felt hungry, and yet no one came. It was yet another Christmas that he spent alone, and that Santa did not come._

"Ez…" Vin called to his brother, noticing how his little brother seemed to be focused on something that only he could see.

"He won't come," Ezra snapped, "Why Santa would come now when he forgot about me before?"

With that, the boy got up and ran to his room, slamming the door.

"That went well." Buck said sadly from where he and Chris had watched.

"What are we going to do?" Chris asked Josiah, noticing that his older brother seemed both as curious and as concerned about their little brother as he was.

"One thing at a time, Chris," Josiah replied, then sighed heavily as he dearly wanted to follow the boy and find out what had happened in the boy's past to cause such a reaction, yet he had the rest of the family to take care of too, "We are going to prepare for the holidays to come."

Vin quietly slipped from the room. He wanted to speak with Ez, to at least try to ease the pain that probably ate away at him during past holidays.

Standing in front of the door, his heart seemed to be beating harder and louder, Vin hesitated to knock as his shyness threatened to overwhelm him, maybe he should wait for Chris.

To his surprise, the door was opened; Vin could see the tears still falling from the green eyes of the boy in front of him. Ezra handed him a belt with a metal buckle and then stared at the floor.

"Ez…" Vin said, not knowing what he should do next.

"I suppose that I did it again," Ezra soberly told him, not lifting his eyes from the floor as he sadly added, "Santa won't come, I'm a bad boy…you can send your brothers to punish me now, I'm ready."

Vin opened his mouth, but no words came out. Too shocked to notice what he did next, he actually took the metal belt from his little brother's hands and left.

"Vin," Chris called when he saw his younger brother return and noticed that his skin was pale. He also saw the boy was holding a belt of some kind, "Where did you get that?"

"Ez…" Vin replied, his voice shaken, his heart still beating hard and fast.

"Calm down before you collapse." Nathan advised from where he had just sat down next to Josiah.

"Ez got it," Vin said as he gathered his breath, and then he added while looking at his brothers, "He gave me that," pointing to the belt, "Then told me to tell you that he is ready for his punishment."

"What?" Chris and the others yelled.

"But he did nothing wrong." JD said softly.

"We know, JD," Buck assured him, "But Ezra must believe otherwise; we just need to correct him."

TBC…


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer, Summary and Warning could be found in 1st chapter.

Beta: Susan Fulton. Thank you sweetie.

2.

"What are we going to do?" Buck asked.

"Let me," Chris replied as he took the belt from Vin, "I will take care of it once and for all."

Josiah blocked his brother's path, and took the belt as he suggested to Chris, "I will not let you go to Ezra like this, and I know what rage can do to you, and I won't have it in my house," Josiah sighed heavily as he continued, "Chris you will need to control your anger."

"Sorry Josiah." Chris apologized and realized that he had nothing to say to his little brother as the rage had clouded his mind.

"It's all right Chris, but I believe that this time, you should let Buck handle it." Josiah assures them and could see the bewilderment on Buck's face.

"Why me?" Buck asked.

"Because you are holding back the rage and I can see the way that you take care of Ezra when he is back from school, and since you are bonding with him, I'm sure that he will feel safe around you." Josiah explained.

Buck grinned, although he didn't expect that his brothers will see that he bonded with the little one so quickly.

"What can I do to make things right?" Buck asked with concern.

"Just be yourself and be there for him, brother." Josiah replied, knowing that he placed a great weight upon his brother's shoulder.

"Take this." Chris suggested give him the belt.

"I think that we should put it somewhere else, not near him." Josiah explained softly to his brothers.

"I'll put it in your room, Josiah," Nathan said, and then he added, "Will you ask the judge about what happened to our little brother?"

"About the belt?" Josiah asked.

"I wonder why he kept it in his bag." Nathan replied, as he never saw the belt, and figures that might the boy kept it hidden in his bag that he came with.

"A reminder." Vin said and turned his head away, as he tried to fight the tears from falling.

"What did you say?" Chris asked.

"A reminder of the past." Vin replied and swallowed the lump down and let the tears come down his face.

Chris put his hand on his brother's shoulder for support him.

Buck left the room and walked up the stairs toward Ezra room with hesitantly not knowing what he should do and say to him.

He sighed heavily as he opened the door but he was not ready for what he saw inside.

The boy was half naked like he was ready to get the belt applied touch his skin, Buck could not stand it anymore, and walked to the boy.

"Wear your clothes Ezra." Buck told him as his eyes were locked on the scars that were in plain sight in front of him.

Why? Why are you not punishing me?" Ezra asked weakly as he started to put his clothes up, hiding the scars away from his brother's eyes.

"You are a good boy, why should I punish you?" Buck replied and asked him softly.

"I am a bad boy." Ezra replied, his eyes locked on Buck.

"No, you are not, little brother, I saw how good you have been since you joined our family." Buck told him.

"I am clumsy." Ezra added.

"Like everyone else, Ez…" Buck told him, grinning.

"No punishment today?" Ezra asked, felt unsure about what he heard.

"No one is going to punish you, little brother." Buck replied, though holding himself back from hugging the boy, fearing that Ezra will think that he might want to hurt him, and Buck did not want to take the chance.

The hug could wait.

"You can ask Santa to bring you everything you want." Buck told him.

"Everything?" Ezra asked as he wiped the tears away with his palm.

"Everything." Buck assured to him with a big smile.

"Do you promise?" Ezra asked, fearing that it might be a trap to show his weakness.

"I am promise to you little brother." Buck assured to him.

"But… but…" Ezra started to say and stared at the floor.

"What is it?" Buck asked in wonder.

"But I don't want to ruin your holiday." Ezra said quickly.

Buck lifts his chin and told him, "You are not going to ruin it Ez, and it won't be complete without you."

"Not ruining it?" Ezra asked. He read his brother's eyes found no con in there, he sighed heavily.

"You are one of a kind, Ez, and you are _ours._" Buck replied.

There was a deep silence between them for minute or two, which Buck decided to break quickly, as he could not stand the quiet.

"Will you write to Santa?" Buck asked and stared at the boy with hope in his eyes.

"Will Santa bring me everything I want?" Ezra asked again with suspicious doubt toward his brother.

"He will." Buck assured him, and in his heart he hoped that his little brother won't ask for bigger things that his family could not afford.

"I want to write." Ezra told him and then he walked toward to his desk and started to write on a piece of paper.

Buck glanced the room, not realizing the time: he had stayed a long time in the boy's room, and could felt the loneliness within the blank walls, and the few less things that Ezra has.

"Here it is, Buck." Ezra told him and by that he broke the train of thought that Buck had as he gave him his wishes for Santa.

Buck opened the paper and started to read. _Oh my… poor Chris, he isn't going to like it…_

"Do you think that Santa will bring it to me soon?" Ezra asked and stared at his brother with his big green eyes lighting up with hope.

"He will in Christmas and not before." Buck told him.

"I'm tired." Ezra mumbled as he yawned.

"It's been a long day, sleep little brother, and if you want something let me know, I bet that you will be hungry." Buck grinned at him.

"Thank you." Ezra told him and then he changed his clothes to his night shirt and climbed onto his bed.

Buck walked toward him and tucked him, "I love you little brother."

Ezra was not used to hearing those words as he turned his head to gather his emotions back.

Chris was the first to see him as he climbed down the stairs with a note in his hands.

"Well?" Chris asked impatiently.

"I never saw so many scars…" Buck mumbled, and then he added, "Those who hurt him should be punished."

"They will when the time will come." Josiah said softly as a reminder to him that his little brothers were close and they shouldn't hear about these things rather than these talk.

"Buck," JD called curiously as he asked, "What is it?"

"Oh… this?" Buck asked as he showed them the paper, but not what was written inside.

"Yes." Vin replied.

"Ezra wrote something for Santa," Buck told them and saw the smiles that appeared his brothers' faces, and then he added with a grin, "Chris," he turned to him and then he continued, "You are not going to love it."

TBC…


End file.
